PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Issue 1576, 10 May 1872, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Feedat, 3eb Mat. Mr Reid moved the second reading «f the Shires Bill. Large powers were pro- " posed to he conferred on the Shire Conncils. The Shires were to be formed by tlie voluntary union of several adjacent Boad Districts. The chairmen of Road Boards who might be in office at the time were to be ex offido members, as well as any who might be elected afterwards. Certain qualifications were necessary to enable a person to become a shire councillor. Rates were not to exceed Is in the £ per annum. It might be wise to endow the Councils with a small share of the land revenue. They were to maintain main trunk lines of road, and as soon as they took over an extent of road where a turnpike should be established, the . Councils were to exercise all the privileges now enjoyed by the Executive. Several members spoke on the subject, ami ultimately, to give more time for consideration, the debate was adjourned till Monday. Monday, 6th Mat. The Hon. Dr Meozies, in asking " What steps have been taken to carry out the resolution passed by this Council in its last session that a line of road should be surveyed from the Oreti and Mararoa Valleys to the Hollyford Biver ?" said the Council would recollect that in the course of last session a motion was made that a road should be surveyed bo as to follow the natural line of road - from the east coast to the west. Last year the Government promised that something should be done to survey this new '.line of road, and his present object was to ascertain whether any engineer had done so. Mr Holmes resumed the debate on the Shires Bill. The more he studied the subject the more he felt it was beset with difficulties. The only portions of the Province to which he thought the Bill would fairly apply were from Dunedin to ■^Tokomairiro- and Out ram on the south, and to Palmerston on the north. Else* where the main roads were in a state of nature, and to hand them over to Shire Councils for maintenance, when they

were not even made, was absurd. He thought large land endowments should be set apart for the Shires. The principle of direct taxation, contained in the Bill, recommenced it to him. He thought it was high time that direct taxation should commence in New Zealand. He believed they would never have good Government until the population generally were brought face to face with the taxgatherer. With shire taxes, road taxes, an income tax, and very likely a land tax, he thought the country would be sufficiently taxed to awaken the people to the necessity of looking carefully into the political situation in which they were placed. He thought it would be well to pass the present Bill. Mr Bathgate supported the Bill, chiefly on the ground ot bringing the tsx-payera and the tax-spenders face to face. The Hon. Dr Menziea hoped the Bill would pass, its object being to secure local control for local matters. Many of what had been called the Centralising Party were desirous of seeing the powers possessed by the Provincial Governments lessened in order to give more power to local bodies ; but others were desirous of withdrawing those powers and vesting them in the central Government. The object of the preseDt General Government was to withdraw more power from the Provincial Governments, but not to bestow that power upon local bodies. Its object was to centre all power in its own hands — to increase the power of the Governor in Council, carrying on a large amount of administration by Orders in Council and by regulations — and he trusted a measure §uch as they had now under consideration would form an obstacle to the carrying out of such a -policy as he had referred to. This was a step, it might be a short one, in the right direction. He hoped the Bill would pass with its present provisions, and with such additional ones as would secure for the new institutions a revenue which would enable them to perform their functions with success. Mr Reid having replied, the Bill was read a second time. In the evening the Bill was considered in Committee till 11 o'clock.